Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-12-27

| Good night in thy caress.
Jennie Maxwell Pains.
THE BOY OF AMSTERDAM.
| read with great interest the analytical
stories Of the present day. What strikes
me most about them is the state Of mind
OF the hero or heroine. My reading shows
me that these individuals have the most
| tender and questioning consciences- No
matter how trivial their action, the char
acters Of our modern books are tortured
by the most severe searchipgs Of heart and
the gravest Of doubts rs to the correctness
| Of whatever course it pleases them to
pursue. Now, l have TO admit that am
not 1t all that Kind OF person. How
came to be projected into such an analyti-
| cal world have been at q loss to imagine.
A thing always appears to me to be right
| or wrong. and I take the one course or
the other. as seems hest at the moment.
and my conscience rarely bothers me with
questions.
But this world Is q world Of cOmpensa-
| tions, and what = person misses in one
stage Of life he frequently finds in nanother.
II my conscience doesn't question me my
little boy does. He more than makes up
for any deficiencies Of past life. He can
ask me more questions in . minute than
can answer in an hour.
He has an Unsuitable desire for stories,
and here Providence again steps in to my
relief. II he were like me, desiring q new
story every time, would have been in
sanc long ago. The imaginative power of
Dickens would fall short OF the demand.
Fortunately, however, he is more than
satis6ed with the same story repeated over
and over again; but he resents any alter
stions in the good old yarns. He won't
have thirty nine thieves, nor VIII he put
mp with forty-one Cinderella's slipper
must be Of glass. Although I have ex-
planned that u ruby slipper or an amber
one is much more expensive, he declines
to accept it.
As he grows older am appalled, to find
that an occasional desire for fresh story
takes possession Of him. II this mania
continues fear that I shan have TO de-
sert my family and seek refuge on some
desert island. As this country is full of
little human Interrogation points intend
now and then to print some Of my efforts.
30 that other afflicted parents may wari
Oh for . time the attacks Of their too in
qulrine offspring. and II any one has any
thing new in the way OF bloodthirsty
narratives suitable for children OF tender
years, would take it as q great oblige-
ment if they would give me some hints
about them.
Papa, want new story this time"
"Do you really"
"Yes. . real new one that nobody knows
about"
"Well. once there Was . man named
Ala Baha and he''-
''Oh, that's the Forty Thieves"
"Oh, you've heard that before, have
your"
"Yes, lots and lots Of times"
Then there was once q poor man who
lived in . wood. How does that strike
yous'
That's a good one"
"And he had seven sons
"Was one called Hop-o-my thumb''
"You hit it the first time. Heard that
oner'
''That's an old, old one"
'AOh, you want something recent
something fresh. Now l understand.
Well. about six months ago there Was =
fellow named Jack"
wv thC Sihht AiiSAs
'Oh, no. that Was several years ago.
This person was an agriculturist."
whats that"
"A farmer He had wonderful success
with his crops. too. Heplanted one single
bean, and in the night il grew so''-
snow, papa, that's mean"
!'What. The BEAM
''No, the story. You know that's the
xof \ knA~ that han 4
was q baby"
"What are you now!"
"rm big now. Biggern that story"
Then you want u story made like your
clothes, bigger and bigger every time
Don't YOU think il let the tucks out Of
sOme Of the old stories they would fitr'
"NO, they wouldn't"
'sThen nothing will do but . complete
new suit. Well, here goes"
'.Surey'
"Yes, sure this time. One September
day got into the city Of Amsterdam''-
where's Amsterdam"
'In Holland"
"And where's HOllandv'
''Oh. round Amsterdam principally"
'-Oh!" Then q pause why do they
call 1t Holland,"
because it is hollow lad. The land
Is lower than the sea-"
Then what keeps the sea outt"
'Oh, it doesn't stay out all the time.
Sometimes the Hollanders wake up and
fnd themselves floating all over the
rOom."
"Isn't that nices-
.'well. they don't look On It that way"
"What do they dor"
'Oh, they get out Of bed and dive for
their clothes-then go and pump the coun-
try out and 60 to bed again. I suppose
you don't care to hear the story"
''Oh, yes. Go on with the story"
"Wel, rs 1 was saying, ] was In
Amsterdam and l went to see the koop-
mans Beurs. That's q rice name, isn't
it.'
"Yes; what does it mean''
at is the exchange whsre people 60 to
buy and sen things"
s.Is there one in Detroit'"
| ayes. They call it the board Of trade
there"
| "Does il get under waters'
| Lots Of folks get swamped in boards
| Of trade in all parts of the world
| "Wss il full o. water in Amsters when
you was therey'
"No. That wasn't the water day. II
WAS full of something else. What do you
think, now:"
/ "Men."
"No. 1t was men that l expected tC
ind there, but I fouId something fa,
| worse than me1. Not Q man dared L
snow ms race IN rne excnange tnnt aa!.
Thew were afraid. What do you thihk II
was,''
s'Bearssr
"No; that was not the day for eithe'
bulls or hears. S0meth. ng worse.
. "I.ionss'
; "No. sir Worse than lions"